Phase diagram for condensation of microcavity polaritons: from theory to practice

TL;DR

This paper compares experimental phase boundaries of microcavity polariton condensates with theoretical models, considering factors like reduced dimensionality, disorder, interactions, and finite lifetime, to understand the conditions for condensation.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison between experimental results and a detailed theoretical model for polariton condensation in microcavities.

Findings

Experimental phase boundaries vary with detuning and temperature.

Theoretical model accurately predicts phase boundaries under various conditions.

Disorder and finite lifetime significantly influence condensation thresholds.

Abstract

The first realization of a polariton condensate was recently achieved in a CdTe microcavity [Kasprzak et al., Nature 443, 409 (2006)]. We compare the experimental phase boundaries, for various detunings and cryostat temperatures, with those found theoretically from a model which accounts for features of microcavity polaritons such as reduced dimensionality, internal composite structure, disorder in the quantum wells, polariton-polariton interactions, and finite lifetime.